Former school security guard gets jail for buying marijuana from student

Shawn Moser bought drugs from a student at Allen High, where he worked security.

(Harry Fisher/The Morning…)

June 05, 2012|By Kevin Amerman, Of The Morning Call

Life as Shawn W. Moser knew it ended abruptly the day the former Allen High School security guard and middle school football coach was caught buying $20 worth of marijuana from a 16-year-old student.

He lost his job. His dream of being a head coach for Dieruff High School was crushed. And his mother and father stopped talking to him.

"He has been shunned by his own mother and father," said Moser's attorney, Ettore Angelo, during Moser's sentencing hearing Tuesday. "He has been punished horribly. … His reputation has been decimated."

Saying Moser has been living in his "own private jail," Angelo asked Lehigh County Judge Maria L. Dantos for probation or house arrest.

But Dantos couldn't oblige.

Dantos said marijuana possession cases many times result in probationary sentences, but said this case is different because Moser bought the drug from a student while being employed as a security guard.

"It's not OK for them to see you involved in illegal activity and engage them in it, and then walk out of this courtroom," Dantos said. "No question you've suffered other sanctions, but when [Angelo] talks about shattered dreams and crushed hopes, the only person who wielded that hammer was you."

Dantos sent Moser, 40, of Alburtis, to county jail for four to 23 months.

Dantos also fined Moser $200 and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service. He'll be on probation for a year after his jail term. Dantos permitted Moser to enter the jail's work release program, but he'd have to find a job — something Angelo said has been difficult since Moser's arrest in February.

"I'm deeply ashamed for my actions," Moser said. "It will take many years for me to regain trust from my peers and deservingly so. I put this upon myself."

Moser said he's addicted to marijuana and has received treatment for it since his arrest.

In April, Moser pleaded guilty to possession of a small amount of marijuana and purchase of a controlled substance from an unauthorized person, both misdemeanors.

Allentown police arrested Moser on Feb. 1, saying he bought three small bags of marijuana for $20 from the teen that day. The teen was charged in juvenile court with drug dealing.

"It's bad enough he was using marijuana, but he exacerbated that by buying marijuana from a student," Senior Deputy District Attorney Joseph Stauffer said.

Allentown School District officials say Moser resigned the day after his arrest.

"Security is having a hard enough time with the students up there," said Allentown police officer Jeremy Moll, who patrols Allen High School and testified at the hearing. "Something like this can only give security a bad name."

Before being jailed Tuesday, Moser had been free on $3,000 unsecured bail.